The present invention relates to a file system as well as to a recording medium with a program used in the system and is applicable in a processing system for executing data processing such as data copying, facsimile communications, and printing, capable of backing up treated data, and further making it possible to read out desired data easily.
Conventionally, important documents (with images or characters displayed thereon) or documents which may be of use in the future are printed on a paper and filed in a book shelf or some other place. However, in business offices or other similar places where a vast quantity of documents are treated, a large space is required for storage of the documents, and also a long time is required for finding out a desired document.
In recent years, in association with sophistication and the tendency for a higher data processing speed in the data processing technology, and also in association with advent of lower price storage units, the so-called file system has appeared, in which documents required to be stored are read with a scanner and accumulated in a large capacity storage unit. Such a file system has been introduced not only into business offices but into other facilities too.
As this type of file system, there is one in which documents are systematically classified according to the type and stored in a database so that related document can easily be retrieved, and recently various types of more sophisticated file system each with further improved convenience in use have been proposed. As the conventional technology, for instance there are those disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 5-35737 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 6-119393.
However, with the file systems based on the conventional technology as described above, it is necessary to read each document with a scanner, so that, if each document is not processed on time, the work needs to be done afterwards and many documents are piled up. To put the piled documents into order it is necessary to read each document to be stored with a scanner and to execute a work for inputting data for classification, even if it is tried to execute a filing work all at once, the work is very complicated and, after all, a number of documents to be stored is reduced.
The documents to be stored in a file system are selected because of their importance, if a document is abolished and not stored it can not be used even if it becomes necessary later.
Therefore, when each document is checked for its necessity of storage, as the determination is not always easy for every document, a long time is required for this work. Furthermore, a document once decided as unnecessary may become necessary in the future.
Documents stored in a file system include copied documents to be used in a conference, those transmitted to or received from business partners through a facsimile machine, or those prepared with a workstation (WS) or a personal computer (PC) and printed therefrom. In brief, a document to be stored is converted to an electric signal at least once and outputted for recording onto a paper.
The present inventor decided to solve the problems in file systems based on the conventional technology. They closely checked the process up to storage of each document in the file systems, gave a thought on the usage of this document data, and succeeded in solving the problems applying a result of the strenuous studies.
In the file systems based on the conventional technology, image data produced by reading each document with a scanner is accumulated, and when the document is required later, the image data is retrieved, read with a reader and outputted for recording, and in this step sometimes input of the output conditions or other data is required. Especially, like in a case of a file system proposed by this applicant and described later, when attention is put on data processing and the data is accumulated as it is, the case can easily be anticipated where it is hoped to quickly fetch a document subjected to the same processing like that in copying by easily retrieving the desired data.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a file system with improved convenience in use in which it is possible to back up treated data as well as to easily use processed data whenever required by fetching and accumulating the same data as those to be processed in the processing step. In addition, make it possible to eliminate the necessity of operating the system paying attention to backing up as well as to store and manage data without executing the filing work itself. Furthermore, make it possible to quickly obtain desired data by realizing the processing enabling easy retrieval of desired data without requiring complicated operations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a file system with higher convenience in used in which it is possible to back up treated data by fetching and accumulating the same data as those to be processed and to easily use any processed data whenever required.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a file with improved convenience in use in which it is possible to back up treated data by fetching and accumulating the same data as those to be processed and to easily use any processed data whenever required, and further it is required to insure security of the backed-up data.
With the present invention, the same data as those processed by a processing system such as a copying machine, a communication unit, or a printer when a processing instruction is inputted by a user is accumulated together with data on conditions for processing the data in a storage unit. Therefore, data to be processed is processed according to a processing instruction and also can be stored for management together with the processing conditions.
With the present invention, processed data corresponding to the processing conditions outputted for display and selected is read out from a storage unit according to an inputted processing instruction. Accordingly, processing data satisfying the selected processing conditions is outputted to and processed by a function or a unit capable of processing the data. In this step, by appending the processing conditions to the processed data and outputting the processed data, it is also possible to process data under the same processing conditions.
With the present invention, processed data corresponding to the processing conditions specified according to an inputted processing instruction is outputted for display and those selected from the displayed processed data is read out and outputted. Furthermore, because the processing conditions are specified, also processed data corresponding other processing conditions or other processing conditions are outputted for display, and processed data selected after this repetition is read out and outputted. Therefore, it is possible to search for processed data in a storage unit according to memory and to read out the data after a reading range is limited and output the read-out data to a function or a unit capable of processing the data. In this step, by appending processing conditions to processed data, the data can always be processed under the same processing conditions.
With the present invention, when a document is copied, data on at least one of a number of copies, size and orientation of a document, and size and orientation of a paper is accumulated. Therefore, it is possible to selectively read out and output processed data by specifying these parameters within a range of memory.
With the present invention, when a document is copied, data on at least copy density, imaging mode, size change ratio, post-processing, divided copying, integrated copying, printing while copying and edited copy is accumulated. Therefore, it is possible to selectively read out and output processed data by specifying these parameters within a range of memory, and further by appending the read-out data to processed data, it is possible to output images for recording under the same processing conditions.
With the present invention, one processing condition is accumulated in correlation to one processing in a storage unit. Therefore, waste of memory can be reduced as compared to a case where processing conditions are accumulated for each page.
With the present invention, processed data is automatically accumulated in a storage unit without requiring a user to carry out any specific input operation (regardless of whether an accumulate instruction is inputted or not). Therefore, the processed data is backed up even if the user does not pay any specific attention to it, and the user can freely read out the data at any time.
With the present invention, even in a case of processed data which is automatically accumulated regardless of whether a user inputs an accumulate instruction, the accumulating operation is stopped and the accumulated data is deleted when an accumulation cancel command is inputted before start of or during the accumulating operation. Therefore, for instance, when it is not desired to file (back up) processed data, accumulation of processed data is not executed by inputting an accumulation cancel instruction.
With the present invention, a program is read out from a recording medium and executed by a central processing unit, so that the central processing unit functions as the accumulation control unit or output control unit.
With the present invention, the same data processed by a processing system upon input of a processing instruction by a user is correlated to ID information for the processed data, and when the processed data has any relativity with processed data in any other storage unit, the processed data is correlated to link information for linking the processed data to those in the other storage unit and stored in a storage unit. A portion of or ID information of the data in the storage unit is outputted for display to a display unit when a processing instruction is inputted from an operating unit, and can be outputted for display in the state where the processed data is correlated to other processed data linked by this link information, and is outputted to and processed, when selected, by a processing site connected thereto such as a processing system. Therefore, processed data is processed according to a processing instruction, and is stored in correlation to other processed data, so that the processed data can selectively be outputted for display together with correlated other processed data and the selected processed data can be outputted to and processed by a function or a unit capable of processing the data.
With the present invention, when a data to be newly processed is the same as the data that has been already processed, the newly processed data itself is not accumulated, and ID information for the newly processed data is correlated and linked as link information indicating the same data to the already processed data. Thus, the same newly-processed data as existing processed data is correlated to the existing processed data without consuming a storage capacity of a storage unit, and when selected according to ID information or relativity to the existing processed data, the existing processed data is processed as the newly-processed data.
With the present invention, if newly-processed data is obtained by updating a portion of existing processed data, the newly-processed data is correlated with link information indicating updated data to the existing processed data, and only the updated data in the newly processed data is accumulated in a storage unit. When the newly processed data is selected according to ID information or relativity to the existing processed data, a portion of the existing processed data is substituted as updated data and restored in the newly-processed data, and then processed. Thus, newly-processed data obtained by updating existing processed data is correlated to the existing processed data without consuming a storage capacity of a storage unit, and is processed, when selected, by replacing a portion of the existing processed data with updated data like in a case where the entire newly-processed data is accumulated.
With the present invention, a keyword, appended information (such as a title), or an important sentence is correlated as ID information to newly processed data, and when any of the ID information is identical to that of the existing processed data, the newly-processed data is correlated to the existing processed data with link information indicating related data. Thus, processed data is correlated to other processed data according to the contents, and similar processed data can easily be selected.
With the present invention, when newly-processed data is correlated to any existing processed data because of coincidence of the keyword, the coincident keyword is additionally appended to other existing processed data correlated to the existing processed data (a keyword not having been used as ID information is added thereto). Therefore, processed data not including a keyword but having related contents can be retrieved according to the keyword.
With the present invention, processed data in a storage unit is correlated and linked to the link information according to relativity with other processed data upon an input from an operating unit. Thus, relating processed data not satisfying the conditions described above can be stored in correlation to each other and managed.
With the invention, a program is read out from a recording medium and executed by a central processing unit, so that the central processing unit functions as the accumulation managing unit and output managing unit.
With the present invention, the same processing processed by a processing system upon input of a processing instruction by a user is accumulated in a storage unit with at least processing data information of the processed data as ID information appended thereto. Processed data in this storage unit is outputted for display, when a processing instruction is inputted from an operating unit and a calendar screen is displayed on a display unit, at a position for the processing data and time, and is also selected outputted to a function connected thereto such as a processing site like a processing system. Thus, once processed data is backed up, the processed data can easily be selected from contracted images arrayed on the calendar screen in time series of works, so that the processed data can be used again in the outputting site.
With the invention, of contracted images of processed data for a plurality of pages, processed data for all of the pages, or processed data for several pages which can easily be determined (such as a cover or contents table) are outputted for display on the calendar screen. Therefore, it is possible to confirm contents of as much processed data as possible with one screen, and desired processed data can easily be selected. It should be noted that, when contracted images of processed data can not be accommodated in a display column of the calendar screen, scrolling or page-turning may be employed for switching displays.
With the present invention, contracted images which can easily be determined for all pages or a portion of pages of processed data is outputted for display on a display column on a calendar screen in different colors or different format. Thus, whether all of processed data or a portion thereof is displayed can easily be grasped, and desired processed data can easily be selected.
With the present invention, the current or inputted date and time are displayed at the final end of the calendar screen on a display unit. Thus, as many contracted images as possible for data processed in the past can be displayed for selection.
With the present invention, current or input date and time are displayed at an intermediate point or at the head of a calendar screen on a display unit. Thus, contracted images for processed data for future (such as processed data accumulated when a date and time for reusing processed data can be inputted as processing date and time information) can be outputted for display singly or together with those for data processed in the past.
With the present invention, data on events each executed according to a specific date and time (such as schedule or events) is inputted as ID information and accumulated together with processed data, and the event information is outputted for display together with contracted images of processed data at a position for corresponding date and time in a calendar screen. Thus, processed data for confirming contracted images can be filtered according to contents of the processed data and relativity with each event, so that desired processed data can easily be selected.
With the present invention, by using a function for inputting and managing a schedule to be carried out according to date and time, contracted images for processed data corresponding to the processing date and time in a calendar screen displaying the schedule with the function. Therefore, it is possible to screen out processed data for confirming contracted images according to contents of processed data as well as according to relativity to the schedule without requiring any specific operation for preparing a dedicated calendar screen or for inputting a specific schedule, so that desired processed data can easily be selected.
With the present invention, by using a function for inputting and managing a schedule to be executed according to date and time, accumulation information for processed data corresponding to the processing data and time in a calendar screen displaying a schedule with the function, and output processing centering on processed data for the corresponding date and time can be executed. Thus, even with a scheduling function incapable of outputting for display any contracted image, it is possible to screen out desired processed data according to an actual result of accumulation of processed data as well as to relativity with the schedule, and then contracted images for the processed data can be outputted for display or can directly be read out and outputted.
With the present invention, processed data is accumulated with ID information such as processing date and time or a keyword correlated thereto, and inputted ID information is outputted for display in a calendar screen in such a way that contracted images for common processed data can easily be discerned. Thus, it is possible to screen out processed data for confirming contracted image, and desired processed data can be selected easily and quickly.
With the present invention, by inputting a security instruction for processed data, the processed data is accumulated in a storage unit with an operator""s password correlated thereto, and also a security mark is displayed in place of the contracted image on a calendar screen, so that, unless the password is entered, the contracted image is not displayed nor is readout for output from the storage unit. Thus, processed data that requires higher degree of security can not be exposed to nor can be used by a third party.
With the present invention, by inputting a coding instruction for processed data, the processed data is encrypted to a data which can not be used as it is, and then is accumulated in a storage unit with an operator""s password correlated thereto, and also a coding mark is displayed in place of the contracted image on a calendar screen, so that the code is not decrypted and the contracted image is not displayed nor outputted unless the password is entered. Thus, processed data that requires higher degree of security can not be exposed to nor can be used by a third party.
With the present invention, when processed data relates to other processed data, link information for each processed data is appended to the processed data, and the relating processed data is displayed together with the contracted images in a calendar screen. Thus, desired processed data can easily be selected by successively checking contracted images for processed data by referring to related images.
With the present invention according to the present invention, a line connecting a contracted image to another one, an arrow mark or the like are displayed as related image d on the calendar screen. Thus, desired processed data can easily be selected, for instance, by checking contracted images of processed data following the line, arrow mark or the like.
With the present invention, contracted images of relating processed data are displayed as relating images above or under the processed data or side by side with the processed data on the calendar screen. Thus, it is possible to simultaneously confirm contracted images for relating processed data.
With the present invention, a program is read out from a storage unit and executed by a central processing unit, so that the central processing unit functions as various units.
Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.